Archive for the ‘1899 Music’ Category

First use of the word Ragtime appears in the song title “Ma Ragtime Baby” by Fred Stone in 1893.
Fred S. Stone was a cross-border phenomenon in the music world, famous in both Detroit and Canada.
Fred started composing pieces for publication in 1895, mostly dance numbers, but hit it big in 1898 with Ma Ragtime Baby, further increasing sales when his brother Charles added words for a song version. The following year he made a splash with Bos’n Rag. Between this and his considerable musicianship he quickly gained the respect of musicians throughout Detroit.

The video below is of Philippe Lernould (France) performing Bos’n Rag by Fred S. Stone. This version is circa 2007.Thanks to Mr. Lernould for letting us use his video.